the law of arms: 'tis as arrant a piece of knavery, mark you
now, as can be offer't; in your conscience, now, is it not?[5218]
cowardly rascals that ran from the battle ha' done this5
slaughter: besides, they have burned and carried away all[5219]
that was in the king's tent; wherefore the king, most worthily,
hath caused every soldier to cut his prisoner's throat.
O, 'tis a gallant king!
What call you the town's name where Alexander the Pig
was born?
the great, or the mighty, or the huge, or the magnanimous,15
are all one reckonings, save the phrase is a little
variations.
his father was called Philip of Macedon, as I take it.
I tell you, captain, if you look in the maps of the 'orld, I
warrant you sall find, in the comparisons between Macedon[5220]
and Monmouth, that the situations, look you, is both
alike. There is a river in Macedon; and there is also moreover[5221]
a river at Monmouth: it is called Wye at Monmouth;25
but it is out of my prains what is the name of the other
river; but 'tis all one, 'tis alike as my fingers is to my fingers,[5222]
and there is salmons in both. If you mark Alexander's
life well, Harry of Monmouth's life is come after
it indifferent well; for there is figures in all things. Alexander,30
God knows, and you know, in his rages, and his
furies, and his wraths, and his cholers, and his moods, and
his displeasures, and his indignations, and also being a
little intoxicates in his prains, did, in his ales and his angers,
look you, kill his best friend, Cleitus.[5223]35
any of his friends.
tales out of my mouth, ere it is made and finished. I[5224]
speak but in the figures and comparisons of it: as Alexander[5225]40
killed his friend Cleitus, being in his ales and his[5223]
cups; so also Harry Monmouth, being in his right wits and
his good judgements, turned away the fat knight with the[5226]
great belly-doublet: he was full of jests, and gipes, and
knaveries, and mocks; I have forgot his name.[5227]45
at Monmouth.
Alarum. Enter King Henry, and forces; Warwick, Gloucester, Exeter, and others.[5228]
Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald;[5230]
Ride thou unto the horsemen on yon hill:[5230]
If they will fight with us, bid them come down,[5230]
Or void the field; they do offend our sight:[5230]
If they'll do neither, we will come to them,[5230]55
And make them skirr away, as swift as stones[5230][5231]
Enforced from the old Assyrian slings:[5230]
Besides, we'll cut the throats of those we have,[5230]
And not a man of them that we shall take[5230]
Shall taste our mercy. Go and tell them so.[5230]60
Enter Montjoy.
That I have fined these bones of mine for ransom?
Comest thou again for ransom?
I come to thee for charitable license,
That we may wander o'er this bloody field
To look our dead, and then to bury them;[5233]
To sort our nobles from our common men.
For many of our princes—woe the while!—70
Lie drown'd and soak'd in mercenary blood;
So do our vulgar drench their peasant limbs
In blood of princes; and their wounded steeds[5234]
Fret fetlock deep in gore and with wild rage
Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters,75
Killing them twice. O, give us leave, great king,
To view the field in safety and dispose
Of their dead bodies!
I know not if the day be ours or no;
For yet a many of your horsemen peer[5235]80
And gallop o'er the field.
What is this castle call'd that stands hard by?
Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus.
your majesty, and your great-uncle Edward the Plack
Prince of Wales, as I have read in the chronicles, fought a
most prave pattle here in France.90
is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a
garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth
caps; which, your majesty know, to this hour is an[5237]95
honourable badge of the service; and I do believe your majesty
takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day.
Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that: God
pless it and preserve it, as long as it pleases his grace, and[5238]
his majesty too!
care not who know it; I will confess it to all the 'orld: I
need not to be ashamed of your majesty, praised be God,
so long as your majesty is an honest man.
Bring me just notice of the numbers dead110
On both our parts. Call yonder fellow hither.
[Points to Williams. Exeunt Heralds with Montjoy.[5241]
that I should fight withal, if he be alive.115
with me last night; who, if alive and ever dare to challenge[5244]
this glove, I have sworn to take him a box o' th' ear: or if I[5245]
can see my glove in his cap, which he swore, as he was a120
soldier, he would wear if alive, I will strike it out soundly.
this soldier keep his oath?
majesty, in my conscience.125
sort, quite from the answer of his degree.
as Lucifer and Belzebub himself, it is necessary, look your
grace, that he keep his vow and his oath: if he be perjured,130
see you now, his reputation is as arrant a villain and a
Jacksauce, as ever his black shoe trod upon God's ground[5247]
and his earth, in my conscience, la!
the fellow.135
and literatured in the wars.[5248]140
and stick it in thy cap: when Alençon and myself were
down together, I plucked this glove from his helm: if any145
man challenge this, he is a friend to Alençon, and an enemy
to our person; if thou encounter any such, apprehend him,
an thou dost me love.[5249]
desired in the hearts of his subjects: I would fain see the150
man, that has but two legs, that shall find himself aggriefed[5251]
at this glove; that is all; but I would fain see it once,[5252]
an please God of his grace that I might see.[5253]
tent.
Follow Fluellen closely at the heels:160
The glove which I have given him for a favour
May haply purchase him a box o' th' ear;[5245]
It is the soldier's; I by bargain should
Wear it myself. Follow, good cousin Warwick:
If that the soldier strike him, as I judge165
By his blunt bearing he will keep his word,[5255]
Some sudden mischief may arise of it;
For I do know Fluellen valiant
And, touched with choler, hot as gunpowder,
And quickly will return an injury:[5256]170
Follow, and see there be no harm between them.[5257]
Go you with me, uncle of Exeter.[5258] [Exeunt.
Scene VIII. Before King Henry's pavilion.[5259]
Enter Gower and Williams.
Enter Fluellen.
now, come apace to the king: there is more good toward
you peradventure than is in your knowledge to dream of.
[Strikes him.
world, or in France, or in England![5261]
his payment into plows, I warrant you.[5262]
majesty's name, apprehend him: he's a friend of the Duke
Alençon's.
Enter Warwick and Gloucester.
it!—a most contagious treason come to light, look you, as20
you shall desire in a summer's day. Here is his majesty.[5263]
Enter King Henry and Exeter.
your grace, has struck the glove which your majesty is
take out of the helmet of Alençon.25
of it; and he that I gave it to in change promised to wear
it in his cap: I promised to strike him, if he did: I met
this man with my glove in his cap, and I have been as[5264]
good as my word.30
manhood, what an arrant, rascally, beggarly, lousy knave
it is: I hope your majesty is pear me testimony and witness,[5265]
and will avouchment, that this is the glove of Alençon,[5265]
that your majesty is give me; in your conscience, now?35
fellow of it.[5266]
'Twas I, indeed, thou promised'st to strike;[5268][5269]
And thou hast given me most bitter terms.[5268]
it, if there is any martial law in the world.
never came any from mine that might offend your majesty.
to me but as a common man; witness the night, your
garments, your lowliness; and what your highness suffered
under that shape, I beseech you take it for your own fault[5272]
and not mine: for had you been as I took you for, I made[5273]50
no offence; therefore, I beseech your highness, pardon me.
And give it to this fellow. Keep it, fellow;[5274]
And wear it for an honour in thy cap
Till I do challenge it. Give him the crowns:55
And, captain, you must needs be friends with him.
enough in his belly. Hold, there is twelve pence for you;[5275]
and I pray you to serve Got, and keep you out of prawls,
and prabbles, and quarrels, and dissensions, and, I warrant60
you, it is the better for you.
you to mend your shoes: come, wherefore should you be
so pashful? your shoes is not so good: 'tis a good silling, 65
I warrant you, or I will change it.
Enter an English Herald.[5276]
John Duke of Bourbon, and Lord Bouciqualt:[5279]
Of other lords and barons, knights and squires,
Full fifteen hundred, besides common men.
That in the field lie slain: of princes, in this number,[5280]75
And nobles bearing banners, there lie dead
One hundred twenty six: added to these,
Of knights, esquires, and gallant gentlemen,
Eight thousand and four hundred; of the which,
Five hundred were but yesterday dubb'd knights:80
So that, in these ten thousand they have lost,
There are but sixteen hundred mercenaries;
The rest are princes, barons, lords, knights, squires,
And gentlemen of blood and quality.
The names of those their nobles that lie dead:85
Charles Delabreth, high constable of France;
Jaques of Chatillon, admiral of France;[5281]
The master of the cross-bows, Lord Rambures;
Great Master of France, the brave Sir Guichard Dolphin,
John Duke of Alençon, Anthony Duke of Brabant,[5282]90
The brother to the Duke of Burgundy,
And Edward Duke of Bar: of lusty earls,
Grandpré and Roussi, Fauconberg and Foix,[5283]
Beaumont and Marie, Vaudemont and Lestrale.[5284]
Here was a royal fellowship of death!95
Where is the number of our English dead?
[Herald shews him another paper.[5285]
Sir Richard Ketly, Davy Gam, esquire:[5286]
None else of name; and of all other men[5286]
But five and twenty. O God, thy arm was here;[5286][5287]100
And not to us, but to thy arm alone,
Ascribe we all! When, without stratagem,
But in plain shock and even play of battle,
Was ever known so great and little loss[5288]
On one part and on th' other? Take it, God,[5288]105
For it is none but thine![5289]
And be it death proclaimed through our host
To boast of this or take that praise from God
Which is his only.110
how many is killed?
That God fought for us.
[Exeunt.